CAMPAIGNING residents have won their battle for traffic calming at an accident blackspot.

Two people have died and there have been 11 crashes on Blackwood's Apollo Way, near Apollo Primary and Infants School.

Now residents and parents are celebrating success in their long battle for safety on the road to be improved.

Sleeping policemen are set to be installed as part of Caerphilly borough council's £355,000 traffic calming scheme for 2002/03.

Details of the scheme will be outlined at a May 21 council meeting, and there will be consultation with residents and the emergency services before the measures are finalised.

Apollo Way has been at the centre of a concerted campaign by residents for several years following a number of horrific road accidents.

One of the leading campaigners, Jim Gardiner, 71, of Apollo Way, said: "Me and my wife have lived here for 30 years and we have seen 11 road accidents in total - the worst one being in 1995 where two pedestrians died.

"We've been fighting and fighting for years on this issue so I hope something can finally be done."

Another prominent campaigner calling for traffic calming measures has been Bronwen Jewczuk, 69, who was a lollipop lady for school children on Apollo Way for 11 years. Mrs Jewczuk, who has collected numerous petitions over the last few years, said: "I have been campaigning for this for many years now and it is about time something was done about the road as it is so dangerous.

"The speed at which the cars would go down that road is frightening and to be honest, the council should have done something about this years ago."

Blackwood councillor Kevin Etheridge said: "It just goes to show what can be achieved by people power."

A spokesman for Caerphilly county borough council said: "The council takes road safety issues very seriously."